Salmons Heads North

Yep, that looks like about it, unless BC makes a trade (or can waive Alvin):

1. Bargnani
2. Bosh
3. Calderon
4. Ford
5. Graham
6. Humphries
7. Nesterovic
8. Parker
9. Peterson
10. Sow
11. Williams
12. Garbajosa
13. Salmons

14. Tucker?
15. Slokar?

I still think we could use another C. If Rasho goes down, who's manning the C? Just Bargs? Bargs and Pape (might be outta commission for a while)? CB full-time?

Five years at 4+ mil per year? That seems high for a guy who had a career high 7.5 ppg. James seems like a bargain at 6mil compared to this.

has toronto actually got john salmon to sign with them?
if they have woot woot!
yes or no ?

Colangelo 'overpaid' for Raja Bell at 5 mil a year and it later turned out to be a 'steal'... he knows what he's doing and what players he's getting... it's all good....

kk has bc actually signed john salmon?
some 1 please answer!

colangelo let go of james then paid salmons practically the samel amount of $ . now i can understand why james felt the raptors offer to him ' is like a slap in the face '.
it's parker type of money but this salmos salary ....
i'm sure b.c. finds something in salmons .
i'm sure it's not something fishy !

Yes...Sign and trade with us giving the Illadelph a 2nd rounder and a $2 million trade exemption.

And it's Salmons....plural...not the singular Salmon

What a horrific move. We are now officially left with NOBODY who can shoot three's....oh wait, not nobody.

Line MoPete up for your fantasy league boys, he'll be shooting about 12 a game next year when we run and pass and break down the other team and they all simply collapse cause we can't shoot!

I think there is a Greg Oden consiparcy going on here.

Peterson, Bargnani, Garbojosa, Parker. How many 3 point shooters do you want?

Yer wrong, WarrenG. Yer so wrong.

I love mike James as a player, I love how he turn him self from a un-drafted player into a 20 and 6 point guard in the NBA. However I think it is necessary for him to go. Last year some of the games was very frustrating to watch, often in the end of the game mike James would dribble the ball for 20 sec and then shoot a 3, while cb4 is clearly our best player. Also I think as a team we improved a lot with all the signing and trades. From watching the games last year I feel that we need a slasher, and Parker can fill that role. Also I think TJ ford will make everyone better and he could easily average 15 and 8 in the run and gun style that we play. Also I think Bargnani can do what cv3 did for us last year (maybe not scoring 48 in a game) and Humphries, Nesterovic and Garbajosa are big upgrades from bonner huffa and woods. The only thing is I don’t understand why worth 4+ million a year for 5 years. However I trust BC because he has the magic touch. If the ex GM made all those moves I would quit watching raptors LOL. But I trust BC and I can’t wait to watch the new and improved Raptors next year GO raptors

The raptors of last season was so competitive in the scoring department. They were one of the best 3 pt shooting teams in the nba. But they sucked defensively. Now, what most of you are forgetting is the question of what uprade in defensive basketball bc has made with all these moves.

As for three point shooters, it's important they are on the floor so that they can hoist them up. Bargnani (in Colangelo we trust) will not be logging major minutes. Anthony Parker is NOT a 3 point shooter and the Big Garbage man, who I love and can do everything, will similarily be coming off the bench.

Hey, I like that we now will have a bunch of 6-6 athletic swingmen....i'm just pointing out the extremely obvious whole in our new game, which is relying on the wildly inconsistent Mo Pete to drain three's.

Colangelo didn't like last years Raptors roster eh? Hell I don't blame him, we were terrible last year. Colangelo wanted this team to finally have a true center and a true point gaurd, and then fill the rest of the roster with younger, more athletic, and more versatile players. Now we have an entirely different team with a different feel, I'm pretty happy with the way the offseason went down and think next years team is simply going to win more basketball games.

Take a look at guys who wore a raps jersey last year that won't or likely won't this season:
Mike James, Charlie V, Aruajo, Eric Williams, Bonner, Antonio Davis, Jalen Rose, Derrick Martin, Loren Woods, Alvin Williams

Besides James and Charlie the rest of these guys are expendable and didn't have much of an impact on the team.

New Raptors:
Andrea Bargnani, Anthony Carter, John Salmons, TJ Ford, Rasho Nesterovic, Kris Humphries

With TJ and Rasho we fill two important spots and the rest of the players have somthing to prove and have a lot of upside- maybe as individuals the old raptors have some better players but I would take these guys over them in a team concept any day. AB, A Carter, JS, and KH are all guys who can play multiple positions effectively. Can't say that about Eric Williams, Bonner, Aruajo and so on.

i like what b.c. has done 'cept maybe paying $5 mil for salmons while not offering james ehough to keep him. we'll see. maybe he sees the new raptors
having enough firepower w/out james . salmons played some good games w/philly but i don't think he is not a proven scorer . will he become one in the new raps system ? we'll see.

Fact about Salmons, from the Philadelphia Inquirer - in the 10 games Iverson was out, Salmon averaged 14.6 pts and 5.8 assists. I know ten games can make Yogi a rich man, but I think it shows the potential and ability Salmons has. Now, here's a delicate question - since we're improving across the board, what place Alvin? Our future doesn't include him anymore. Nobody but NOBODY works harder than him, but with his career done, waiving him to clear up a roster spot might be our best move.

Mike James is a shoot-first point guard and not fit for the up-tembo basketball bc is building in TO. You can't change the spots of a leopard.

I really like the signing of Salmons. Remember that Salmons played on a team where the ball was dominated by Iverson. Webber got a lot of shots too. There wasn't much room for another scorer after those two. Where it gets interesting is when you look at how Salmons did when Iverson was out. He often put up pretty big numbers in those games when he started in Iverson's absense. When you put him in the system we're going to run this year, I can see very good things to come. Same for Anthony Parker (not Anthony Carter).

People keep saying Toronto is becoming Phoenix North, but at the rate we're adding pieces and the stagnant off-season Phoenix has had (and murky contract scenarios coming up for them), calling Toronto Phoenix 2.0 might be more appropriate. Maybe that's over-the-top optimism, but isn't that what the off-season is all about? :)

Salmons will be signed when Barrett clears waivers. we're using the cap space from his salary to apply to Salmon's salary. Also, Salmons has not had the opportunity to play as much as James, but the feeling is that if given said opportunity he will produce. He also has PG abilities. I think bc wanted him for his all around skills. To me, James was a good scorer but comes with too much baggage. Seems like we're building a team of 'team-oriented' players.

Phoenix had a stagnant off-season because they are loaded with top-drawer talent. What would you really want to change -
marion, stoudamire, nash, diaw, kurt thomas, raja bell, barbosa....?

They are looking great.

Just the fact that Phoeniz was also going after the same player shows that Colangelo is going to make this team Phoenix North 2.0.

Part of the reason I no longer am a season tix holder was because the Raps have been jacking up so many threes over the last few years. Moreso, taking the first half open jump shot they see (here's looking at you Mo).

I would be to argue that Mike James cost the Raptors as many games as he won for them. His clutch shooting percentages were horrible but gave the team decent production.

However, I am concerned about Salmons production numbers. Phili was a full 5 points better per game with Salmons on the bench than when he was playing (courtesy of 82games.com).

Anyways, I'm still happier with the changes than not.. this will force the Raps to go to a higher percentage offensive game than the Jack-em ups of recent years.

To think the best I was hoping for Eddie House... this move is far better. Thinking of the lineup permutations that are possible with this team.... mind boggling.... Our second unit's gonna be gettin it done this year.

WarrenG, don't worry about the Oden conspiracy. If you'll recall, a team can not have the first overall pick two years in a row, courtesy of Orlando drafting Shaq and Chris Webber (subsequently parlayed into Anfernee Hardaway).

One thing I know about Salmons is that he's a pretty good defensive player, so he should help the team on that alone. My impressions of him are that he's not the greatest athlete around, but that he knows how to play. I'll be interested to see how he pans out.

oh i never knew that a team cannot have the 1st pick in teh draft 2 years in a row . thank you for telling me but we can still get kevin durant or joakim noah * toung out smile*

holy depth batman!

josh - i agree. suddenly the raps have a whole set of otions as to what kind of lineup they put on the floor at what time. Last year it was completely 1 dimensional, which let the opposition take advantage for an entire game. No wonder so many players had career games against us.

it will be very interesting to see what mitchell can do with this squad. i think he's probably on cloud nine with a roster of team-first players that actually have some talent.

BC is an absolute tactician - All in Salmons is about 100 times better for fit for this team than that loud math James ever was. They way all his moves came together in the end, with no idle talk or warning are testimony to his intelligence and cunning. Granted he has taken some calculated risks (CV for TJ is the obvious one) but could anyone imagine the hopeless predecessor Babcock having this type of offseason. Never in a million years...

BC is one move away from making the playoffs. With CB locked up and Larry Brown and other legitimite NBA coaches available there is no way that Sam will be in TO in the New Year. No way. With a real coach in place he could be looking at another GM of the Year Award.

It is all good.

Well I think BC should try to get Eddie House now, or another shooter and then leave the team as it is no need to touch it. I am just so excited for this new Raptor, and I can't wait till the Raps will be the only team that will match Phoenix, then it would realy be a shoot out nouff respect Raps!!